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Silver Medal for USA Women's Olympic Water Polo Team
Thursday, August 21, 2008

 

8/21/2008 12:00:00 AM

 

A heart breaking loss for the USA Women's Water Polo team in the gold medal match against the Netherlands, resulting in a 9-8 final score.  The Netherlands started out strong with a four shot lead in the first quarter.  By the end of the second quarter the Americans had tied it 5-5.  The fourth quarter was more evenly matched as the Dutch and Americans went back and forth.  Betsey Armstrong ended the match with 14 saves for 24 shots.  The USA goals were spread out between seven players with Steffens having two goals and Hayes, Villa, Golda, Grekorka, Van Norman, and Craig all scoring one goal each.  More match details to follow.

posted @ 8/21/2008 12:13:26 PM | (0) Comments  | Grab It
American Wenger back for gold medal match
Thursday, August 21, 2008

 

Wed, Aug 20 06:55 PM

BEIJING (AP) _ U.S. water polo player Lauren Wenger will be back in the pool for the goal medal match Friday, two days after team doctors believed she broke her right hand. X-rays revealed no broken bones, U.S. coach Guy Baker said Thursday, and Wenger has been cleared to play against the Netherlands.

Wenger, a center forward, is the team's most versatile player. She has size, speed, is one the team's best outside shooters and can play just about every position.

She was named most valuable player at last year's World Championships after scoring 11 goals. But she missed several weeks this year because of two broken fingers, and Baker was relieved to find out she wasn't going to be out again.

posted @ 8/21/2008 11:34:56 AM | (0) Comments  | Grab It
U.S. Olympic Team For Women's Water Polo Headed For Gold Medal Match After 9-8 Defeat Of Australia
Thursday, August 21, 2008

 

8/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

 

Beijing, China - August 19 - Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA) scored three goals late including the winner with one minute remaining to defeat Australia 9-8 and the U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Water Polo is headed back to the Gold Medal game for the first time since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The victory over Australia earlier today at the Ying Tung Natatorium also assures the women's team of medaling for the third consecutive Olympics something no other women's team has accomplished. In addition they join some pretty select company as on the men's side only six countries have won three consecutive medals at the Olympics. Team USA will battle the Netherlands for the Gold on Thursday, August 21 at 6:20pm local time in Beijing.

As for this contest it was classic USA-Australia- a battle throughout and it came down to the final minutes. Australia started the scoring first with a goal three minutes into the game but Team USA answered immediately as less than thirty seconds later Natalie Golda (Fullerton, CA) took a feed from Villa to tie the score at 1-1. Australia's Melissa Rippon skipped one in at the four minute mark of the first to give Australia back the lead at 2-1. This was short lived because Brittany Hayes (Santa Ana, CA) answered for the Americans with a lob shot tally at 2:23 remaining to tie the score at 2-2.

It was tied at two goals apiece to start the second quarter. Two minutes into the quarter center Moriah van Norman (San Diego, CA) drew a five meter penalty which was cashed in by Villa and Team USA had their first lead of the game at 3-2. At the 3:39 mark in the quarter the United States went for more as Jessica Steffens (Danville, CA) cleaned up a missed Elsie Windes (Portland, OR) shot and put home the rebound for a 4-2 advantage. Australia would quickly rally scoring back to back goals to tie the game at 4-4 with 2:36 remaining in the half.

The game remained tied into the halftime and just over a minute into the third quarter Team USA grabbed the lead back when Kami Craig (Santa Barbara, CA) got loose inside for a score to go up 5-4. Some two minutes later Alison Gregorka (Ann Arbor, MI) helped build the advantage with a tally and it was 6-4 USA. An Australia exclusion led to another USA goal, this time by Villa and it was 7-4 and USA was in control. Even with Australia scoring on a player advantage at the 1:39 mark in the third, the United States countered right away with  Hayes scoring on a power play to go back up three at 8-5 headed to the fourth.

Despite the three goal lead this one was far from over. Gemma Beadsworth found the net for Australia to draw within two at 8-6, then Aussie goalie Alicia McCormack halted a Golda five meter penalty shot. Using that momentum the Aussies came down the other end and scored again closing to within 8-7. Four minutes would pass as the game entered the final stages and Australia tied the game on a player advantage with 2:27 remaining thanks to Kate Gynther. The United States would strike last however as they drew an exclusion and with one minute remaining. Villa, the team captain put the cap on the game with a beautiful skip shot that navigated its way into the net past multiple arms for a 9-8 lead. The defense locked down the rest of the way and it was on to the Gold Medal game for the United States.

Notes: Villa finished with a hat trick whi